1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a backlight assembly. More particularly, the invention relates to a backlight assembly used for a display apparatus and maximizing heat dissipation efficiency.
2. Description of the Related Art
Generally, a display apparatus includes a display panel displaying an image, a backlight assembly providing light to the display panel, and a driving part providing driving and/or control signals to each of the display panel and backlight assembly. The display panel may include a liquid crystal as a display element, and the liquid crystal may display the image by controlling a transmittance of the light provided from the backlight assembly.
The backlight assembly includes a light emitting module actually generating the light, and a receiving container receiving the light emitting module. The backlight assembly further includes a plurality of optical elements for efficiently providing the display panel with the light generated from the light emitting module. Light emitting diodes (“LED”) are mainly used as a light source to maximize heat dissipation efficiency with relatively low power consumption. Since the number of the LEDs is substantially proportional to luminance of the backlight assembly, the number of the LEDs may be increased to enhance the luminance.
However, as the number of the LEDs is increased, heat may occur due to the light generated from the LEDs, and/or a current provided to the LEDs. The display element of the display apparatus is deteriorated due to an increase of a temperature of the display apparatus by the heat, so that display quality may be decreased, and the light emitting module may be damaged by the heat. Particularly, in case of using a structure that many LEDs are disposed in a particular area, for example, an edge-illumination type light emitting module, the heat is concentrated on the particular area, so that the display element may be easily deteriorated or the light emitting module may be easily damaged. Accordingly, the display apparatus needs heat dissipation means for dissipating or minimizing the heat generated from the light emitting module.
Heat dissipation characteristic may be the more enhanced as thermal conductivity of material forming the receiving container is increased. However, the receiving container should have high thermal conductivity thin thickness and light weight, so that the material forming the receiving container may be limited.